GAZA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Delegations from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) are scheduled to join the Hamas delegation in negotiations being held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, which seek to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said on Wednesday.

The delegations are scheduled to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday evening, and their participation could help accelerate progress toward an understanding on the issue of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, said the source.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions are believed to hold around 48 Israeli hostages, of whom Israel estimates about 20 are still alive. The PIJ previously claimed during the war that it was holding some of the Israeli hostages but did not provide further details.

Both the PIJ and the PFLP have taken part in the fighting against Israel since the Gaza war erupted in 2023.

PIJ Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah said in a televised speech on Wednesday that the Palestinian factions "are ready to negotiate what was included in U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, on the basis that there are provisions that can be dealt with positively, the first of which is the prisoner exchange clause."

Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the head of Hamas's political bureau, announced earlier in the day from Sharm el-Sheikh that "the lists of prisoners to be released were exchanged today according to the agreed-upon criteria and numbers."

Al-Nunu added that the mediators "are making great efforts to remove any obstacles to implementing the ceasefire, amid an atmosphere of optimism among all parties."

According to Palestinian sources, the most recent negotiations have focused on mechanisms for ending the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and arrangements for prisoner exchanges.

Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel entered their third day on Wednesday as part of efforts to end the two-year war in Gaza. Enditem